The Court of Appeal of the Chilean city of Arica has rejected two requests to ban the storage of mineral concentrates from the Sierra Gorda mining area at Terminal Puerto Arica (TPA). The ruling confirmed that TPA has the legally required environmental conditions on site to undertake this type of operation.

Local residents became alarmed when road haulage companies conveying copper concentrates from Antofagasta began arriving at the port, convinced that these would prove toxic. However, copper, under Chilean legislation, is not regarded as being toxic.

BC